Mayo musicians and groups invited to apply for funding for instruments
Mayo based musician Ethan Henry, who won a Music Network grant award for the purchase of musical instruments in the 2025 Scheme.
Applications are invited from non-professional performing groups and individual professional musicians in Mayo to apply to the Music Network Music Capital Scheme.
Funded by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport the Scheme provides vital funding for the purchase of musical instruments and related equipment.
A total of €500,000 in funding is available through the following three Awards which are now open for applications:
•Award 1 – Non-professional performing groups
•Award 2 – Individual established professional performing musicians
•Award 3 – Individual emerging professional performing musicians.
The deadline to apply is Tuesday 15 December at 2pm.
Awardees in Mayo in the 2025 Scheme included: Bofield Comhaltas Ceolteóirí Éireann, Keel Pipe Band, Mayo Academy for Performing Arts and individual musicians Darragh Healy, David Munro, Joseph McNulty, Ethan Henry and Mark O'Donnell.
Established in 2008 by The Arts Council, the Music Capital Scheme is funded by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and managed by Music Network. Since it was established, the scheme has made 850 awards to individual musicians and organisations, providing access to instruments for over 70,000 people across the country.
Beneficiaries range from early years to mature players including musicians with physical and intellectual disabilities. 430 performing groups have been able to purchase instruments and expand their memberships, and 416 established and emerging professional musicians have advanced their performance careers with instruments enabled by the scheme.
Music Network Chair Pat Moylan commented: “We would like to express our deep gratitude to the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport for its ongoing commitment to providing vital funding for musical instruments to groups, individual musicians and most recently, arts venues and music presenters. This investment continues to make a significant impact on the quality of, and access to, music-making and live performance throughout Ireland.”
An extensive range of applicant supports will be delivered between now and the scheme deadline. These will be open to all, with a particular focus on supporting first time and previously unsuccessful applicants. Music Network will host online Information Sessions for organisations considering applying to Award 1 and individuals considering applying to Awards 2 or 3.
Alongside this there will be online seminars and a limited number of one-to-one consultation sessions on key topics relating to the application process, as well as a number of in person information sessions for applicants in locations across the country. Further details about these events and how to register are available on Music Network’s website.
All applicant supports are provided free of charge. Music Network is committed to equity and inclusion, and encourages individuals and groups from all backgrounds and communities to apply.
Music Network CEO Sharon Rollston said: “The Scheme has benefitted thousands of people since its inception and this year's investment means that even more musicians, groups and communities will now be able to access the instruments they need. A comprehensive range of capacity building supports will be available to applicants. Our aim in providing these is to help people make a strong case for funding and achieve positive results which benefit the music sector as widely as possible
“Music Network has been working to make live music accessible to people across the country and supporting musicians to develop fulfilling careers for 40 years. Schemes such as this play a crucial role in ensuring that an ever increasing number of musicians can excel and communities everywhere can share in the magic of live music.”
Further grant awards – Award 4 for quality string instruments on loan to emerging classical players and Award 5 for arts venues and music presenters to purchase or refurbish concert standard grand pianos will also be available as part of the Scheme – which has a total fund of €1m. These strands will be announced and applications invited in 2027.
